Government seeks forfeiture of land purchased by illegally obtained money
Jan. 31—The U.S. federal government is seeking forfeiture on real estate property on Red Pine Street, in the Vinos Los Pinos Subdivision, that the government states was purchased with illegal transactions associated with an immigrant smuggling operation.
It has filed a civil forfeiture lawsuit, and according to court filings, the land and home sought on Red Pine Street is registered to Yolanda Magallanes-Nunez, who the federal government said remains a fugitive.
On April 18, 2018, Magallanes-Nunez and six others were indicted by a federal grand jury on one of count conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, one count of conspiracy to harbor an undocumented migrant, and one count of operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Federal court records show that the six others indicted with Magallanes-Nunez pleaded guilty to the charge and received various prison sentences.
Magallanes-Nunez has not entered a plea.
"The United States alleges that the defendant property constitutes the proceeds of and is property traceable to concealing and harboring noncitizens for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain. The United States further alleges that the defendant property is involved in and is traceable to money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business," a portion of the seizure suit states.
According to Cameron County Appraisal District records, the home and land registered to Magallanes-Nunez have a combined value of $122,273.
A final pretrial hearing on the case was held Tuesday. The federal government on Jan. 11, 2022, filed a civil lawsuit to seize the property.
According to the lawsuit, Magallanes-Nunez has yet to be apprehended, and as a result, the U.S. seeks now to forfeit her property.
The lawsuit states that from Jan. 3, 2007, to July 19, 2016, Magallanes-Nunez conspired with others to harbor and transport undocumented immigrants, to launder criminally derived proceeds and operated an unlicensed money transmitting business to support unlawful activity.
According to the lawsuit, Magallanes-Nunez worked with others to transport the undocumented migrants to a Brownsville home and there is where she "concealed, harbored, and shielded the noncitizens from detection until co-conspirators transported the noncitizens elsewhere."
The government states Magallanes-Nunez operated a funnel account for the human smugglers who would deposit various amounts of money into a Wells Fargo bank account belonging to Magallanes-Nunez.
Once the deposits were made, money would be moved to other accounts, and any money left in the account belonging to Magallanes-Nunez would serve as a payment for her role in the scheme, the lawsuit states.
It is estimated that from Jan. 3 ,2007, to July 19, 2016, Magallanes-Nunez and the six others grossed at least $1.2 million, and with her share of the money, Magallanes-Nunez got a loan to purchase the property on Red Pine Street, federal court documents show.
The case is being heard before U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr.
